The Child of Kikyou
by DemonSlayerPrincess
Summary: Inuyasha and Kikyou have a daughter and she not only reflects on her past but fights for what she feels is right for her present and future. This is a "what could happen if Naraku didn't exist" type stories so Kagome will most likely not be in the story but the others may and rating may change further into it.
1. Chapter 1

The Child of Kikyou: Chapter 1

Kikyou pushed with all her might as her hands grasped the covers of the traditional bed on the floor. She had been in labor for hours and it was starting to really tire her. "Come on sister Kikyou, you can do it," a younger Kaede encouraged. "It will be soon," spoke an old priestess who was there to help Kikyou.

Outside, Inuyasha paced back and forth nervously, wondering what could be taking so long. Kikyo was finally able to give a final push and her baby entered the world onto the bed. The old priestess smiled as she tended to the baby and picked the child up in her arms, "It's a healthy girl."

Kikyou closed her eyes with a tired, but happy smile as the priestess began cleaning the baby. Kaede jumped up in excitement and went over to the priestess' side to watch the baby being washed before she ran outside, smiling from ear to ear.

"Inuyasha, ye have a daughter," Kaede said, smiling up at him. Inuyasha turned and looked at the hut for a few seconds in a daze before hurrying inside, "Kikyou." "She's resting," the priestess smiled at him as she bundled the child in a blanket while she cried. Inuyasha walked over and looked down at the baby and smiled.

I was born and my mother was so happy, my father was proud.

I don't remember anything from the first years of my life, but when I was four, it changed.

A gang of bandits on their horses rode through my village. Their faces were determined and had no trace of sensitivity in their brows. As they rode the dirt pathway, I looked up from picking flowers on the side of the pathway to see them coming, charging to their destination. The flowers fell from my hand as I was overcome with fear and all I wanted to do was get to the safest place I knew. I turned and started running, "Mama!," I cried as my feet carried my down the pathway, passed the huts and marketplace.

I closed my eyes tightly and ran blindly down the pathway, too scared to even keep my eyes open then I remembered being scooped up in my mother's arms. She held me close to her as she got out of the way of the horses and in front of our hut. "Inuyasha!" I heard her call out. I opened my eyes now and looked around to see him leap into action and stand in front of the horses with his arms crossed.

He looked so brave and at the same angry for almost running me over. My father was a half demon after all, he had white silvery hair that flowed down his back and he wore a bright red cloth of the fire rat that could protect him from flames. As I watched him that day, I soon forgot my fear and was instead, amazed. The bandits brought their horses to a stop in front of him, wondering why he was so arragont to stop them.

My father didn't waste any time and he literally jumped up and grabbed the one in front by his collar and brought him down to the gound with him in his grasp, "What are you bandits doing in this village," he growled. I'm not quite sure wht happened next aside from my mother trying to calm him, but later I found out why exactly they were there.

"Mama," my voice came back to me again, later that day as my mother was brushing my black hair which came to the middle of my back, with her comb. "Yes my child?" I could see her smiling down at me in the mirror I held in my hand.

"Who were those men? What did they want? Why was papa so angry?" She closed her eyes briefly as she kept brushing my hair, but her smile remained, probably to protect me, "My child doesn't have to worry about that, those people were not allowed to come through our village and your father made sure they knew that."

I nodded, trying to understand. She turned me around after she was finished and gave me a warm smile that only my mother gave me, "As long as your father is around you have nothing to fear," and then she gave me a motherly hug. I closed my eyes and fell asleep in her arms that night.

AN: I know this is a short chapter but it's mainly so I can see if anyone actually likes the idea and if it's worth continuing but I wanted to do a story about Kikyou's daughter so I hope you like it :) and if anyone has a suggestion for their daughter's name please send in a review and I will pick a name that I think best suits her and as always reviews, favorites, adds are always appreciated


	2. Chapter 2

AN: well here's chapter 2 guys, please let me know if you have any questions and also I plan on drawing any made up characters I use for this story including Inuyasha and Kikyou's daughter and posting a deviantart link to my profile to show you what the characters look like so keep an eye out for that and I decided to go with Chiori for her name, it's a combination of my first two reviewers of this story, Chikashi and Shiori ^_^ I hope you like it and enjoy :)

Chapter 2

As the days went by, I didn't think anymore about the bandits who almost trampled me with horses and instead enjoyed being a little kid. Everyone in the village knew me because I was the daughter to the half demon and young priestess of the village, but at that time I didn't know there was more to it than that. As I played happily among the fields of the village in my effort to catch a beautiful blue butterfly, I didn't notice that once again I was going to be in danger.

A nasty crow demon swooped down and grabbed me by the back of my orange and white kimono and lifted me into the air. My eyes widened as I saw the earth below me getting farther away and with an ear piercing scream I cried out for my mother and father. I closed my eyes tightly until I heard a swooshing sound from my father's robe.

As I opened my eyes I saw bits of the demon falling beside me as my father caught me in his arms and brought me down with him to the ground and held me until the last piece of crow flesh made its way to the ground around us. I buried my face on him, still shaken.

I felt him walk away from the demon he sliced then set me down on the ground in front of him as he kneeled down. "Are you ok Chiori?" he asked me. I opened my dark brown eyes and looked up at him, my eyes instanty forming tears and my bottom lip quivered.

"Papa," I cried and clung to his robes once more. He looked down at me sadly as he gave me a hug and picked me up. "Let's go home, your mother will have dinner ready soon," and with that, he placed me on his shoulders so he could give me a ride back to the village.

After dinner I fell asleep close to my mother on our large bed while my father and aunt Kaede slept in their own seperate beds beside ours. It wasn't until I felt my mother's absence that I woke up from my sleep. I looked around and saw my mother and father talking to each other over by the area where mother would do her cooking. I closed my eyes to fall back asleep, but then, I heard my name. I kept my eyes closed so they wouldn't know I was awake and listened to their heated conversation.

"Inuyasha this is serious," I heard my mother say, "there has been demon reports closer to this village and today even, Chiori was carried away by one, it's getting dangerous." My father growled and by the sound of his tone, was trying his best not to raise his voice, "Then get rid of it Kikyou, it's that simple." "It's not that simple and you know it Inuyasha, if the jewel ends up in the wrong hands it could be even more devestating, you know that," my mother's voice was starting to crack.

What my father said next shocked me as he smirked bitterly, "It's a good thing you have your guard dog around to protect the village." There was silence for a few seconds, as if my mother was just as shocked as I was and then she finally spoke, her voice barely audible, "You know I don't think of you that way, you're my husband and I love you for who you are, that's why I refused to use the jewel on you, we protect the jewel together and we must keep doing so until it's time for our daughter to protect it, she will be able to help destroy it so that no evil will come to possess it."

My father sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck, "Why does our daughter have to be involved, why can't she have a normal life?" "Because it's her destiny," my mother answered and she rested her head on my father's chest.

"Mama, papa?" I spoke up as we sat around the fire for breakfast the next morning, "what's the jewel you were talking about?"

My mother blinked as she looked over at my father. I just gave them a puzzled look with my mouth full of vegetable soup. My aunt Kaede, who was twelve and eight years older than me, looked down at her soup and continued eating quietly. "Well you mine as well tell the kid," my father finally said and took another bite.

My mother took a deep breath and smiled softly at me, "It's a very powerful jewel that we protect, a lot of evil demons and bandits want to come here to steal it because it will give them whatever they want," she quickly added as she saw the fear in my eyes, "your father and I have been protecting it ever since before you were born and we will continue to protect it and you."

I looked down to soak in all of this information, then I placed my bowl on the floor and crawled over to my mother and into her lap, "Will I protect it one day mama?" I looked up at her as I asked. "Yes my child," she stroked my hair, "in time the responsibility will be passed onto you." That year of my life was the year that would change my whole future and the following year, when I was five, there was more at stake.

It was a sunny day and I played outside all morning after breakfast, but something upset me and I ran into our hut with my pigtails bouncing, "Mama!" I cried, rubbing tears away, "these boys were being mean to me and they took my ball and pushed me down!" My mother turned around from her sweeping and gave me a smile like she always did when she was about to cheer me up, but then she fell to her knees. I froze, scared, "M-mama?" I said as I took a step back, as if I did something wrong.

My mother looked up at me with the same tired smile before collapsing onto the foor. My eyes widened as tears came down in streams, "Mama!" I screamed in fear. Aunt Kaede entered the hut with a basket of vegetabels in her arms since she went out every morning to gather them, and saw my mother lying there.

"Sister Kikyo!?" she dropped the basket and hurried to her side, "Sister Kikyo." All I could do was stand, frozen where I was, just staring at my mother's unconcious form. "Chiori," my aunt spoke as she turned her head to look at me, "go get the wise priestess, hurry!"

Wise priestess was what my aunt Kaede and I called the old woman who performed priestess duties like my mother, who also lived in our village. Though my mother was wise and helped with the sick and injured, the old priestess was more experienced than my mother.

My body felt like it could move again as more tears formed, but I did as I was told and ran as fast as I coud out of the hut. "Wise priestess, wise priestess!" I yelled as I knocked on her door. An old woman opened the door before me and spoke with a scratchy voice, "Yes child, what is the trouble?" I sniffled as I tried to keep it together, "My mama, she fell on the floor," I looked up at her with fresh tears.

"Oh my," the old priestess spoke, "let's have a look." I nodded and took her hand, leading her back to our hut then pointed inside. She slowly walked over to my mother and kneeled at her side. I followed, hesitantly. "What's wrong with my sister?" Kaede asked.

"Hmm.." the old priestess looked puzzled as she ran her hand against my mother's abdomen and then looked over at Kaede, "Please take the young child outside, I will know more when I do a full check." Kaede nodded as she stood and took my hand. I let her lead me outside, but looked back at my mother with worry.

Right after the door closed to the hut, I got down as far as I could and looked under the door to see if I could see what was going on inside. "Do you see anything?" my aunt asked while looking down at me. I squinted my eyes and a sudden wishful thought of my father being there instead of out doing his duties, entered my mind. "Wise Priestess is undressing mama and now she's feeling on her tummy," I told her.

Kaede blinked softly and put a hand on the wooden door, she felt her sister had been through an examination like this before. "Now she's giving her some kind of medicine in her mouth and wiping her face with a wet cloth." Kaede looked back and moved away from the door.

"What are you doing?" I heard my father's voice say behind me. I sat up on the ground in a doggie style position and looked up to see my father looking down at me with one of his eyebrows raised and arms crossed. "P-papa." The door opened and the old priestess stood in the door way wondering what all the noise was outside.

"Old woman?" my father looked surprised, "what are you doing here?" My father had a habit of not respecting elders or even little kids, but after being with my mother, he tried to do better most of the time. "Your wife is resting," she smiled softly at him, "contratulations, your wife is with child, make sure she gets plenty of rest and herbs." That was all she said before going back to her own hut.

My father stood there in shock. Kaede didn't look as shocked, but still wasn't expecting it. By this time I was standing beside him now and I tugged at his pants, "Papa? What does "with child" mean?" My father slowly made his way inside the hut and looked down at my mother who was now sleeping soundly in our bed, "Your mama is going to have a baby."


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I hope you enjoy this chapter, I know it's been a while since I updated and I apologize for that, also please check out artwork for this story on my DA account, the link will be on my fanfiction profile and it will show what the made up characters look like, including the main character Chiori :D also they're will be an awesome drawing from my good friend of Chiori coming up for next chapter so please watch my DA account for that :)

Chapter 3

The months went by and everything seemed to change. My mother tried to do as much as she used to but she had to rest a lot more and my father seemed more anxious, like there was a demon waiting around every corner in which he had to protect us from. One morning it was a day my mother took me to the waterfall to bathe.

I followed her to the edge of the woods and then she made me stop. I did as I was told, hiding behind one of her legs and looking at the trees like they were an unfamiliar stranger that I had seen many times. My mother looked around cautiously and I couldn't help looking up at her belly that now protruded from the rest of her body like the ball I would play with, it had been 6 months since we all found out she was carrying a baby.

Then, my mother looked down at me and gave me a smile, "It's safe, let's go," she took my hand and led me between the trees, toward the stream. I looked up at my mother with a smile and noticed she was looking ahead with an alert expression. My eyes traveled to her back where her quiver of arrows rested, she always carried them with her so she could protect me and the baby inside her.

It wasnt long before we arrived at the crisp, flowing stream where a small waterfall poured into it. My mother stopped beside me and took off the top and bottom of her priestess clothes to show off a white kimono she wore underneath and then she slowly made her way into the water.

I watched her as she turned and looked at me with a nod, "Alright Chiori, you may come in now." I smiled and took off the kimono I wore and stuck my foot into the water. It was cold and I winced at first. My mother gave me a warm smile to show me it's ok and I smiled once more. Feeling more convident, I made my way over to her and she made sure my head stayed above water. I smiled up at her and she smiled back while scooping up some of the water in her palm and pouring it down my back, making sure I bathed properly.

Once she felt I was clean enough I was allowed to swim around as long as I stayed close to her. I learned at a very young age how to swim from my father when he caught fish for us. I laughed as I splased the water with my hands, I myself was like a fish and the water my playground. My mother watched me lovingly as she bathed herself. I swam up to her and put my hands on her stomach as I kicked my legs in the water to stay above it.

"Mama," I said as I kept my hands on her belly and looked up at her, "how did my little brother or sister get in your tummy? Did you eat them like the fish papa catches?" My mother laughed softly and shook her head, "No of course not Chiori," she paused as she tried figuring out how to explain it to me, "a baby is put in a mother's tummy when she and a man become one."

I blinked several times trying to understand what she meant by that, "As one," I repeated. "Yes," she replied, "and now it's time to go back." I nodded and swam over to the water's edge and climbed out and then, like my father, I got on my hands and knees and shook the water off of my body. My mother tried her best not to laugh, though she had a really hard time doing this, and smiled, "Chiori, do you like being like papa?"

I froze to my spot and looked at my mother curiously then thought about this and nodded, "mhm, but I want to be like mama when I grow up." It wasn't something I was sure of then, but perhaps I didn't want to dissapoint her with saying I'd rather be a demon than a priestess, I did have the choice afterall. My mother smiled softly at me and made her way out of the water and put her clothes back on.

I watched her as if in awe, she was one of the prettiest young women in our village and she was always so kind with the other villagers and always seemed to know how to help them. She looked down at me once she was dressed and smiled, "Let's go Chiori," she took my hand gently in hers and we were off again through the trees.

It happened suddenly that it was almost a little scary as I felt a little squeeze to my hand and my mother stop in her tracks.

I looked up at her, "Mama?" I noticed her expression was off, it wasn't her usual calm one and her brow was forwarded to the middle slightly as if she was confused about something and then she started lowering to the ground in a sitting position. I looked a little scared now as she rested against a tree and her breathing changed, "Mama?" I repeated.

She gave me a smile to reassure me, "It seems the baby wants to be born now, I want you to.." but she stopped and instead of looking reassuring, she looked worried. And then, I felt it, for the first time. "A demon," I said and looked around on alert, similar to how my mother was earlier. I could only since one, I wasn't sure if it was because I was unexperienced, but then my mother said as she closed her eyes, "The blood, it smelt it."

"Blood?" I looked at her, scared. "Chiori," My mother spoke calmly, sensing my worry, "run as quick as you can back to the village, bring the wise priestess and Kaede here," she knew the demon wouldn't follow me since she was the one bleeding. I don't know what got into me at that time, but I shook my head slowly and stood in front of my mother, like a little protective shield that couldn't stand a chance in protection.

I couldn't see my mother's expression with my back turned, but I was sure she was scared for my saftey and I heard her make a small noise of pain. I didn't turn to face her, I stayed alert as I looked around. Sensing the demon became weaker for me and I didn't realize until later that it was because I was still unexperienced and my emotions were too scattered. "Chiori run," my mother repeated as she winced in pain.

Before I could do anything else, a large hog demon broke through the trees and found us, it was as tall as our hut and almost as wide. I froze in fear, the only noises I could hear was my mother yelling for me to run and the boar demon's roar. Then, I saw a flash of red and my father slashed the demon with his mighty sword, Tetsaiga.

Once the threat of the demon was over he turned and hurried to my mother's side, by this time she was panting and covered in sweat, "Inuyasha," she spoke. "I smelled your blood," was all my father said before picking my mother up in his arms and running off through the trees, "Come on!" he growled back at me. I knew my father wasn't angry with me, he just got that way when he was anxious about something. I followed as fast as my little legs could take me. My mother gripped my father's cloth of the fire rat tightly and I heard her say, "the baby."

"Don't worry, I'll get you there," my father replied and he jumped up to a tree limb and leaped his way across the limbs of the trees like a monkey I once saw in the forest. I looked up at watched him moving fast through the trees as I ran on the ground until we came to our village. My father hurried to the wise priestess' hut.

"Hey! open up!" he barked as he held onto my mother. I stayed behind them, still overwhelmed by it all. The door to the hut opened and the wise priestess looked surprised, "Inuyasha and lady Kikyo." "Yeah yeah," my father barked again, "let us in, can't you see the baby's coming." The wise priestess ignored his rhetorical question and opened the door to let him in. I followed my father inside where he carefully laid my mother on the floor where a small bed was already prepared for the injured. Soon, my father was out of the hut to wait outside and my aunt was coming inside to be with my mother for support.

"Sister Kikyo," she cried as she sat next to my mother. "The baby is on its way," the wise priestess informed us, "Kaede, get the water." My aunt nodded and hurried to do as she was told. My mother turned her head to the side, breathing heavily, but managed a smile for me. I smiled back and kneeled down to her side.

My mother's smile was soft and motherly as she put a hand on my cheek, "My Chiori," she said, "you will be a fine woman someday." I looked at her questioningly with my head lightly tilted to the side, but before I could ask her what she meant her hand dropped from my cheek and instead grasped the bedding. I saw my mother wince in pain and breathe heavily then my eyes wandered to the wise priestess whose hands were busily preparing for the birth. "I have the water," I heard my aunt announce as she walked back in and over to us with a tub of water.

The wise priestess dipped a cloth into the water then pressed it gently on my mother's forehead and down her face as my mother kept her steady breath. My ears overloaded as my mother screamed, I heard the sound of my father pacing outside, the cloth being dipped into the water again and then...a baby crying.

I looked over at the wise priestess quickly as her hands started busying themselves again, "A boy, he is small," came her words. I looked back and my mother and aunt, my mother looked tired with steady pants and my aunt looked curiously to see the baby. It seemed to take a long time that the wise priestess was working and I wasn't able to see the baby from where I sat next to my mother, but then, he was handed over to my mother.

I got closer on my knees to get a better look and there I saw him, wrapped and cradled in my mother's arms, was my little brother. He was smaller than the babies I have seen when my mother would help with a birth since he was early, though he was pink and moving his arms like the others. "He's very cute," my aunt smiled as she peered over my mother's shoulder.

The priestess smiled too, a proud smile as if it was her grandchild, "You did very well Lady Kikyo." Although my mother was tired she smiled softly at the bundle in her arms and kissed one of his tiny hands. I noticed as I kept looking at him that underneath the blanket he was wrapped in were two dog-like ears that matched his black hair, but this didn't seem to bother my mother in the slightest. To her it seemed he was just the way he should be.

The door of the hut opened and my father walked in, "I heard the baby crying so uh.." he looked like a child that did somethig he wasn't sure he was supposed to and I had to giggle at this. My mother looked over at him smiling, "We have a son Inuyasha." My father walked over and sat beside me and looked down at my little brother, I never seen my father smile as much as I had then, "A son," he said.

The months that followed my brother's arrival didn't seem too important to me and before I knew it I was old enough to start my priestess training. It was the spring I was eight and I found the perfect spot to practice my bow training, which, I was told, was the same place my mother and aunt trained when they were my age. My father was there to watch. I knew he had stayed near the village because he was going to be in his human form and he never left the village when it was the day and night of the full moon.

"Well? what are you waiting for?" I heard him say from his lounging position on a tree limb. I looked up at him with my cross bow in hand then back at the tree in front of me, which happened to be the same tree he was lounging in. The truth was, I didn't want to mess up and accidently shoot an arrow up at my father, but it seemed that was his way of teaching me to be brave. I took a deep breath and put an arrow in the bow before pointing it at my target, dead center at my height of the tree.

I could feel my father's eyes watching me closely and I swallowed nervously. I pulled back the bow and let go of the arrow with my eyes closed tightly. The arrow flew through the air with amazing speed and hit the tree, right where I wanted it to go. I opened my eyes and smiled as I saw where it ended, "I did it!" I heard my mother and brother Koto walk up behind me, holding my two year old brother's hand, "Very well done Chiori," my mother praised with a smile.

"I'll say.." my father leapted down from the tree and walked over to me, looking impressed, "good job kid." I smiled more and ran over to the tree to retrieve my arrow and then I made my way back over to them. "Mama, will you teach me how to use a sacred arrow now?" I asked eagerly as I looked up at her. "Awow," my brother tried to repeat as he pointed at my bow that was still grasped in my other hand.

My mother smiled proudly at me and nodded, "I think you're ready." She picked my brother up in her arms and handed him to my father so he wouldn't get in the way and get hurt and then turned to me, "Select an arrow that you feel confident about." I blinked and looked down at my quiver of arrows, "Confident?" I glanced over at my father as if he would know what she was talking about, but he was now busy playing with Koto.

Koto laughed as my father spun him around while he held him, "Papa!" he said in delight. I smiled, my father loved having a son he could bond with and teach how it was to be part demon. "Ah, here's a nice one," my mother said as she pulled an arrow out of the quiver and helped me get it ready on my bow. "I can do it mama," I told her and placed the arrow where it was ready. My mother stood and smiled softly at me, "Concentrate, let your spiritual power flow into the arrow." I figured this would be easy since I had been purified from all traces of demon so that I could become a priestess.

I closed my eyes and concentrated. At first I didn't think it would work, I felt nothing except the light wind blowing on my face and through my hair. When I was almost ready to give up, I realized what I needed to do and I let go of everything, everything except my spiritual energy. Then it happened, I felt spiritual energy flow through me and down my arm and hand until it reached the arrow. I opened my eyes and saw the arrow glowing with a pink light and then stopped in the tip, then glow pink again and stop completely. "You did it," my mother smiled, "now aim at the tree and shoot the center."

I took a deep breath, I was more nervous this time, as if I was shooting a very precious arrow. I aimed the arrow straight at tree where I had last time and shot it. Again, the arrow flew through the air with speed and shot the tree, causing a hole right above the last one. My mother placed a hand on my head and smiled down at me, "You're doing wonderfully, I have no doubt you will be a priestess when the time comes."

And that's exactly what happened.

AN: thank you for all of your comments and support for my story, I hope I can update sooner next time, I went on a trip for a few days so it was hard working on the story but I finally finished another one :) as always reviews and favorites are always appreciated and don't forget to check out the artwork for this story on my DA account, the link is on my profile.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: I'm sorry it's taken so long to update this story but here it is, another chapter :) I hope you enjoy it

Chapter 4

I held my arrow as steady as I could in the bow as I targeted the tree in front of me. I was now 15 years old, which, in my village and any other village I've been in, was being an adult. The harder I thought about what day it was and how nervous I felt, I felt sweat dropping from my face and started having a harder time holding onto the bow and arrow. "Chiori?" I heard my aunt as if in a distance, but when I came to my senses, I realized she was still only a short distance from me. For the last couple of years Kaede helped me with becoming a priestess, in fact, for the most part she was the only one.

I pulled back the arrow, still having a hard time focusing with all the thoughts rushing to me until finally the arrow released from the bow in the wrong direction and cut my hand. I winced immidiately as the blood started to gently flow in a thin line down my palm. I noticed Kaede taking out a small shell of medicine and walk over to the tree. As I stood, clenching my wounded hand, Kaede took a leaf from the lowest branch and came toward me.

She opened my hand so she could get to the wound and began wiping the blood away with the herb concoction that was spread on the leaf. I looked down, feeling foolish and couldn't help thinking of my mother not being there. Kaede finished cleaning my wound then gave me a small smile, "My sister would be here if she could, she has been so busy with the village since the wise elder.." There was no need for her to finish the sentence, I knew my mother was now taking the role of lead priestess in the village since the wise elder was no longer with us.

Though..that wasn't the only thing on my mind, "The ceremony, I'm not ready." Kaede blinked her eyes, "Of course you are ready, you just need to focus on your tasks more, but if you are able to do that then ye are ready," she gave me another smile before telling me I should try again.

Later that day, the ceremony went better than I thought it would. Priests and Priestesses from the neighboring villages were present to witness my skill as a priestess in all the ways possible for one. I had practiced hard on remembering my herbs and medicines, I was even able to cure people alongside my mother and aunt. The real challenge that came for me was when I had to show them the spiritual arrow, but that as well seemed to come natural to me after all the practice I managed.

The priests and priestess were encouraging and I gave them a lot of respect as I was taught I should. I bowed to each of them as they gave me insperational words of religion, honor and responsibility. My family was proud when I was accepted as an official priestess and then I didn't have to worry so much anymore, at least that's what I thought at the time. There was still something important I had to remember, protecting the sacred jewel.

Later that day when my father and brother were out collecting fish and my aunt was caring for the other villagers, I sat in our hut with my mother tending to my hair as she had done for many years, it was like our bond as mother and daughter. I was quiet with my thoughts as the comb was moved through the strands of my long hair. "Is something bothering you Chiori?" asked my mother. I wasn't sure how to reply to that, there was actually several things bothering me, 'should I have stuck to being a normal girl and being involved with a boy as most of the girls were my age' 'how sure can I be as a priestess?' and 'what will happen to the sacred jewel now that it's my responsibility?'

Though these thoughts ran through my mind I asked only one question to my mother, "You told me before that the jewel can be destroyed but I thought the only way was to allow it to give you your greatest desire, even then it's not a complete guarentee, is it?," I looked back at her with curiousity. My mother took a deep breath and placed the comb down beside her before responding, "There is a way that the jewel can be destroyed but it requires a journey to the northern mountains, but it's too dangerous for you, I knew this day would come and.."

My eyes widened as I realized what she was trying to explain, "You and father plan to take that journey alone." My mother stood and walked over to finish the vegetables she was cooking for dinner, "We were waiting for the right moment, there were things we had to teach you and your brother in case.." she took another deep breath and was unable to finish that sentence, "You and Kaede must take care of the villagers and your brother will help to protect our people, we must take this jewel away from the village and get rid of it for good."

I stood, a surprising courage coming over me, "Mother, you can't do that, it's my responsibility, I should be the one to go out and do this mission." My mother turned and gave me a soft smile, "It's our responsibility to protect our children, we have raised you so you could protect the jewel so when the time came your father and I would set out to do this mission, it was always our burden to bare and I am sorry I made you believe it was your burden, your destiny is to take care of our villagers, they need someone like you and your brother."

I shook my head and spoke almost faster than I could think, "They need you, you are the wise priestess now, they look up to you, they respect you, I'm new and there hasn't been time to respect me as much yet, mother please." But there was nothing I could say to persuade her as she silently went back to cooking and before the conversation could continue, my father and brother walked in with fish. "Look what I caught," Koto grinned with his chest out proudly as he held up a huge fish in one hand.

My mother smiled at him, "That's wonderful Koto." My father seemed a little dissapointed that he didn't catch any fish as big as Koto's, but he smiled proudly with a hand on Koto's head, "He's becoming a real man." I sighed, "I'm not hungry," I left the hut with the thought of possibly losing my parents in the near future. As soon as I was out of the hut I could hear Koto say, in a pouting tone, "All that work for nothing."

He was definiely my father's son.

Next Chapter- something will happen that will change plans and Chiori will have a chance to show her courage :)


End file.
